Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-06-04

draped with curtains, through which shopo
rays Of light. Thore was nobody In tho place
except ourselves.
Painfully and slowly old Billai crept up
the length Of the cave, and with tho most dig
nlfled stride that could command followed
aftor him. But felt that 1t was more or loss
Of a failure To begin with, 1t Is not possible
TO look dignifled when you arc following In
the wake OF an old man writhing along on his
/ stomach like snnkc, and then, IN order to 60
sufficiently slowly, either / had to keep my
| leg some seconds In the air at every step, or
else to advance with full stop between each
Stride like Mary Queen OF Scots going 10 cx-
| ocution In q play. Billali WIS not good at
crawling-I suppose bis years stood In tho
way-and our progress up 10 that apartment
was very long affair. was Immediately
behind him, and several times was sorely
tempted TO help him ON with good kick. 1t
is so absurd TO advance into the presence OF
savage royalty after tho fashion Of an Irish
man driving pig to market, for that is what
wo looked like, and the idea nearly made me
burst out laughing then and there had to
work my dangerous tendency 10 unseemly
merriment or by blowing my nose-a pro-
ceeding which filed old Billali with horror;
for he looked over his shoulder and made a
ghastly face at me, and heard him murmur,
"Oh, my poor Baboon"
At last wo reached the curtains, and here
Billali collapsed fat on to his stomach, with
his hands stretched out before him as though
he were dead, and l, not knowing what
to do, began to stare about the place. But
presently distinctly felt that somebody wag
looking at me from behind the curtains.
could not zee the person, but / could dis
tinctly feel his or her gaze, and what is more,
it produced a very odd effect upon my nerves.
/ felt frightened, don't know why. Tho
place was q strange one, it is true, and looked
lonely, notwithstanding its rich hangings and
the soft glow of the lamps; indeed, these
accessories added to rather than detracted
FROM its loneliness, just as a lighted street at
night hos always a more solitary appearance
than dark one. 1t was SO silent IN the place,
and there lay Dillali like one dead before the
heavy curtains, through which the odor
of perfume seemed to float up toward the
gloom Of tho arched roof above Minute
grew into minute, and still there was no sign
of life, nor did the curtain move but felt
the gaze Of tho unknown being sinking
through and through me, and filing me with
q nameless terror, till tho perspiration stood
in beads upon my brow.
AZ last the curtain began to move Who
could be behind it--some naked savage queen,
q languishing oriental beauty OF Nineteenth
century young lady drinking afternoon teal
had not the slightest idea, and should not
have been astonished at seeing any Of the
three. was getting beyond establishment.
The curtain agitated itself little, then sud
denly between its folds there appeared most
beautiful white hand white as snow, anG
with long tapering fingers ending In the pink
est nails. Tho hand grasped the curtain and
drew it aside, and as it did SO heard voice
| think the softest and yet most silvery voice
I ever heard 1t reminded me of the murmui
Of brook.
"Stranger," said the voice in Arabic, bu
much purer and more classical Arabic than
tho Amahagger talk-"Stranger, whereforH
, art thou SO much afraidp
Now flattered myself that in spite Of my
inward terrors had kept very fair com
mand of my countenance, and was therefor,
a little astonished ut this question. Before
] had made up my mind how to answer 1t
! however, the curtain was drawn and a tai
figure stood before us. 1 say figure, for no
, | only her body, but also her face, was wrappet
UP in soft, white gauzy material in such wa
as at first sight to remind me most forcibl,
. of corpse in its grave clothes And yet
: do not know why 1t should have given m
0 that idea, seeing that the wrappings were s
D thin that ono could distinctly see the CLEAN
S of the pink flesh beneath them. suppose
: was the way in which they were arranged
+ either accidentally, or more probably by dc
| sign Anyhow, felt more frightened tha
9 ever at this ghost like apparition, and m
s hair began to rise upon my head as the fee
d ing crept over me that was in the pres
Q ence OF something that was not canny. Th
y swathed, mummy like form before me we
/ that of o tall and lovely woman, instinc
= with beauty in every part, and also with
: certain snake like grace that / had neye
q seen anything like before. When she move
hand or foot her entiro frame seemed to III
q dulate; and the neck did not bend, it curve
r "Why art thou SO frightened, strangers
d asked the sweet voice again-a voice thu
o seemed to draw the heart out Of mo like Il,
q strains OF softest music SIS there that abou
> me that should alright mani Then surel
J, are men changed from what they used to be.
Il And with q little coGuettish movement sd
# turned herself and held up one arm, so as t
d show all her loneliness and the rich hair c
Is raven blackness that streamed in soft ripple
p down her snowy robes, almost to her sandale
v feet
i, ut is thy beauty that makes mo fear, oil
l. queen" answered, humbly, scarcely know
b ing what to say, and thought that as di
J. SO heard old Billali, who was still lyin
n prostrate on the floor, mutter, "Good, m
" Balloon, good
l. II see that men still know how TO beguil
Il us women with false words. All, stranger,
It she answered, with laugh that sounded lii;
+ distant silver bells, 'thou vast afraid becaus
/ mine eyes were searching out thine hear
n therefore vast thou afraid. But being but
n woman, / forgive you for the lie, for 1t wa
o courteously said. And now tell mo how cam
d ye hithsr on this land Of the dwellers anon
Ii eaves--a Land Of swamps and evil things an
It dead old shadows OF the dead. What cam
Ii 20 for to sect How is it that 20 bold you
o lives SO cheap as to place them In the hollo,
d Of the hand Of Hiya, into the hand of Sht
z who-must-boobeyed2 Tell me also how com
70 70 to know the tongue that talk 1t Is a
G ancient tongue Iiveth it yet IN the world
z Thou seest dwell among the caves and th
dead, and naught know 1 Of the affairs c
n men, nor have ] cared to know. / hay
; lived, oh stranger, With my memories, an